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Title
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Evaluating the effects of moonlight on the vertical flight profiles of three western palaearctic swifts
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Author
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Abstract
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| Recent studies have suggested the presence of moonlight mediated behaviour in avian aerial insectivores, such as swifts. Here, we use the combined analysis of state-of-the-art activity logger data across three swift species, the common, pallid and alpine swifts, to quantify flight height and activity in responses to moonlight-driven crepuscular and nocturnal light conditions. Our results show a significant response in flight heights to moonlight illuminance for common and pallid swifts, i.e. when moon illuminance increased flight height also increased, while a moonlight-driven response is absent in alpine swifts. We show a weak relationship between night-time illuminance-driven responses and twilight ascending behaviour, suggesting a decoupling of both crepuscular and night-time behaviour. We suggest that swifts optimize their flight behaviour to adapt to favourable night-time light conditions, driven by light-responsive and size-dependent vertical insect stratification and weather conditions. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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Proceedings : biological sciences / Royal Society [London] - London, 1990, currens
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Publication
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London
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Royal Society
,
2023
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ISSN
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0962-8452
[print]
1471-2954
[online]
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DOI
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10.1098/RSPB.2023.0957
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Volume/pages
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290
:2010
(2023)
, p. 1-11
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Article Reference
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20230957
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ISI
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001096152000002
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Pubmed ID
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37909073
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Medium
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E-only publicatie
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Full text (Publisher's DOI)
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Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
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